Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota is an American football player on the position of quarterback in NFL’s football team called “Tennessee Titans.”
Early life:
He was born as Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota, on October 30, 1993, in Hawaii (Honolulu).
His parents, loved children very much, so he got a younger brother Matt very soon.
His father is of Samoan descent, and his mother’s ancestors are from France. Since he comes from various parts of the world, he is a man of culture and tries to keep his feelings of belonging to various nations although he spends most of his time in one place.
He attended the Saint Lous School where he was involved both in football and in athletics (running). His biggest role model was a Samoan player called Jeremiah Masoli who played for the Saint’s School and Oregon University.
He started training football seriously in late high school which was a little unorthodox. It was usual that footballers started training sooner than he did.
Career development:
At the beginning of his career, he was named as Offensive Player of the Year because he was very enthusiastic in every game and gave 100% in every game.
In 2012 he was named to the DUCATI World game.
He was an excellent jumper and tracker so in 2010 he received two awards for the “Fastest Man” and “Combine King.”
He won the 4th place in 2011 TF Championships. This was a great way to get noticed.
The same year he received the Hawaii Gatorade Player of the Year. He attended Oregon’s football camp in 2010 where he was discovered by Mark Helfrich. Mark offered him a scholarship.
In 2012 he was the announced as a freshman with the biggest number of passings in the league.
He played for Oregon Ducks, and at the end of 2013 he made it to the national cover of “Sports Illustrated.”
In 2014 he was named to many watch list and was awarded at the nations best footballer. He bypassed NFL Draft in 2014 by his own decision.
He won many awards in 2014: Davey O’Brien Award, Cam Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award…
He graduated in 2014 with the degree in general sciences. In 2014 he was the first Hawaii born player to win Heisman Award.
In 2015 he was selected by the “Tennesee Titans” as their first pick. Their coach was incredibly satisfied with getting a player of his quality.
In 2016 Oregon opened “Marcus Mariota Sports Center.” This was one of the proudest moments he had in his career and since it was a wish of his for a long time, one of the most emotional ones too.
In 2015 his NFL jersey was best-selling in the whole league.
Mariota signed four years long contract with Tennesee Titans worth $24 million not including bonuses.
He will also receive a great amount of money for endorsements.
In 2015 he made his debut in professional football in a match against Atlanta Falcons. Marcus was excellent and became 1st quarterback to throw four passes in a debut game.
In 2016 he was ranked at the top of all players. He is not only a great player but an excellent person.
Personal life:
He is known as the best person in the whole NFL, and he genuinely cares for people. One of his teammates told Marcus’s parents how they did a great job in raising a son.
Almost every player in his team can tell a story how he helped someone in trouble.
It is known that he drove a rookie back and forth from the stadium to his home because the rookie didn’t own a car.
He once stood 2 hours in the hot sun sharing autographs to his fans. He claimed that if it wasn’t hard for them, it could not be hard for him too. This proves how devoted he is and how much he cares for people who follow his work.
He participates as a volunteer in Eugene, Oregon since he relocated there in 2012. He is involved in many community events which include mentoring kids.
There isn’t a lot of controversy towards him since he doesn’t do hardcore partying and so on, but he does spend a lot of time trying to help other people and give away his money to charity, in good causes.
There is an interesting fact about him: he always makes his bed, even if he is in a hotel.
He avoids social media and never reveals his personal life very much.
Mariota was in a relationship with Nicole Watase, a student at Oregon. They met while she was cheerleading for his high school team. She is a former model, a part of Premier Models.
Quick summary
Full name: Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota
Date of birth: October 30, 1993
Birthplace: Honolulu in Hawaii.
Age: 24
Profession: American football player
Height: 1,93 m
Weight: 101 kg
Net Worth: $6 million